Polanski's arrest could be his path to freedom (AP)

[Yahoo!_news]

AP - A surprise arrest at the Zurich airport, detention at the hands of Swiss authorities, and a high-profile extradition process that could take weeks or months. The irony is that for Roman Polanski, the acclaimed director accused of child rape three decades ago, this latest ordeal could lead to the one thing he's lacked since: his freedom.

More...

[forum_admin]

File photo of film Director Roman Polanski attending a news conference to present his musical 'Tanz der Vampire' ('Dance of the Vampires') in Berlin October 11, 2006. Polanski was arrested on September 26, 2009 at the request of the United States on trying to enter Switzerland on Saturday evening to receive a prize, the Zurich Film Festival said in a statement on Sunday. Polanski's arrest was in connection to an arrest warrant issued by U.S. authorities in 1978, the statement said. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/files (GERMANY ENTERTAINMENT CRIME LAW)

Polanski's arrest as he arrived Saturday in Switzerland for a film festival honor could potentially spur on his legal team's recent motion to dismiss charges that have dogged him since he fled the U.S. for France in 1978, a year after pleading guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl.

But it could also elevate his case into an international ordeal — involving the governments of Switzerland, France, Poland and the United States — and potentially complicate his possible extradition.

France has no extradition treaty with the U.S., and while he traveled throughout Europe, he avoided arrest in part because of lax policies on apprehending foreign fugitives. But in recent years, many countries have gradually tightened their efforts to find suspects abroad and extradite them.

It's also not clear how hard authorities was searching for him. The Swiss Justice Ministry said in a statement that U.S. authorities have sought Polanski's arrest around the world since 2005, although he has been a fugitive much longer.

Previous attempts to nab Polanski when he left France were thwarted because authorities didn't learn of his travel soon enough — or Polanski didn't make the trip, said William Sorukas, chief of the U.S. Marshals Service's domestic investigations branch.